The New Jalpaiguri-Howrah Shatabdi Express has become the first train of the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) to be upgraded under the Railways ministry’s “Project swarn.’

In a bid to improve the passenger experience, the ministry had decided to upgrade the Premium Rajdhani and Shatabdi trains under the project.

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NFR Chief Public Relations Officer Pranav Jyoti Sharma on Friday said that 14 Rajdhani trains and 15 Shatabdi trains had been selected in the first phase under this project.

While the 12313 New Delhi-Sealdah Rajdhani Express became the first Rajdhani Express to be upgraded under ‘Project Swarn’ on 29 November 2017, all the Shatabdi Express trains under the NFR are also covered under first phase of this project.

“Under Project Swarna, a detailed programme is undertaken to significantly improve passenger experience on Rajdhani and Shatabdi trains in the following 10 dimensions: Coach interiors, toilets, onboard cleanliness, catering, linen, punctuality, staff behaviour, security, onboard entertainment and real time feedback,” Mr Sharma said.

“The salient features of the first Swarna Shatabdi Express between New Jalpaiguri and Howrah are complete interior painting to an aesthetic international colour scheme and LED lighting to improve illumination, better hygiene by providing ‘auto janitor’ system in toilets, health faucets, stainless steel wash basins, improved soap dispensers and better quality dustbins, carefully chosen locations for ergonomic convenience, night signage for easy identification of berth numbers for en-route entraining passengers, new design magazine bags with extra pocket for mobile for fitting life style, LED lighting over mirrors, vinyl wrapping of toilet doors for improved aesthetics, epoxy coating in toilets, provisioning of extra mats in toilets to improve hygiene standards and to give a dry toilet to the passengers with improved cleanliness and polished commodes and basins to make them odour free in every trip,” Mr Sharma said.